When the Cleveland Browns took the field for the first day of their mandatory minicamp, they did so without Amari Cooper.
According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the Pro Bowl wide receiver wasn’t present at Tuesday’s practice, with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirming that his absence wasn’t excused. Cooper is entering the final year of his contract in Cleveland and is seeking an extension, with Stefanski confirming there has already been communication regarding the matter.
“These situations, I understand that they do come up,” Stefanski said, per Cabot. “I’ll really leave all of that between Amari and Amari’s agent, AB (Andrew Berry) and those type of conversations. But again, as you guys know, we focus on guys that are here. We’ll get some good work in and really keep it at that.”
The 29-year-old Cooper is coming off of arguably the best year of his nine-year NFL career, tallying 72 receptions for a career-high 1,250 yards and five touchdowns en route to being named to his fifth Pro Bowl appearance. Entering his third year in Cleveland, the Alabama product is slated to remain quarterback Deshaun Watson’s top target after amassing at least 1,110 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Browns.
Earlier this offseason, Cleveland bolstered its wide receiving corps by acquiring Jerry Jeudy in a trade with the Denver Broncos. The Browns proceeded to sign the 2020 first-round pick to a three-year, $58 million extension.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.